UMFELOKAZI ompofu wanga umfanyana wakhe onguzinyo-bulala. Akakukholelwa lokho akubonayo. Emizuzwini engemingaki edlule ubegone isidumbu salo mfanyana elusizi. Kodwa manje uyajabula njengoba ebona le ndodana yakhe esivusiwe imomotheka. Isivakashi sakhe sithi: “Bheka, indodana yakho iyaphila.”

Lolo vuko olumangalisayo lwenzeka eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngu-3 000 edlule. Ungafunda ngalo kweyoku-1 AmaKhosi isahluko 17. Isivakashi sakulo muzi umprofethi kaNkulunkulu u-Eliya. Umama womfana ungubani? Ungumfelokazi othile elingashiwongo igama lakhe ohlala emzaneni waseZarefati. Ukuvuswa kwendodana yakhe kwakungesinye sezenzakalo ezaluqinisa kakhulu ukholo lwakhe. Njengoba sigxila endabeni yakhe, sizofunda izifundo ezithile ezinohlonze.

UJehova wayenqume ukuthi kwakuzoba nesomiso isikhathi eside embusweni ka-Ahabi, inkosi embi yakwa-Israyeli. Ngemva kokuba u-Eliya ememezele leso somiso, uNkulunkulu wamfihla ukuze u-Ahabi angamtholi futhi wondla lo mprofethi ngokuyisimangaliso ngesinkwa nangenyama ayekulethelwa amagwababa. UJehova wabe esethi ku-Eliya: “Suka, uye eZarefati, laseSidoni, uhlale lapho. Bheka! Ngokuqinisekile ngizoyala owesifazane lapho, umfelokazi, ukuba akunike ukudla.”—1 AmaKh. 17:1-9.

Lapho u-Eliya efika eZarefati, wabona umfelokazi ompofu etheza izinkuni. Ingabe nguye owayezonika lo mprofethi ukudla? Kanjani, njengoba empofu kanje? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi wayenakuphi ukungabaza, u-Eliya waqala ukukhuluma nalona wesifazane. Wathi: “Ngicela ungicakulele amanzi ngiphuze.” Lapho eyomkhela amanzi, u-Eliya wanezela: “Ngicela ungiphe ucezwana lwesinkwa ngesandla sakho.” (1 AmaKh. 17:10, 11) Kwakungeyona inkinga kulo mfelokazi ukunika lesi sihambi amanzi, kodwa ukusinika ukudla kwakuyi­nkinga.

 Waphendula: “Kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, anginalo iqebelengwana eliyindilinga, ngaphandle kwenkeshezana kafulawa embizeni enkulu namafutha amancane embizeni encane; futhi bheka ngitheza izinkuni ezimbalwa, ngizongena ngizenzele okuthile mina nendodana yami, sidle bese siyafa.” (1 AmaKh. 17:12) Ake sihlaziye lokho okwembulwa yile ngxoxo.

Umfelokazi waqaphela ukuthi u-Eliya wayengumIsrayeli owesaba uNkulunkulu. Lokhu kubonakala emazwini akhe athi “kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.” Kubonakala sengathi nakuba ayenolwazi oluthile ngoNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, lwalungafinyeleli eqophelweni lokuba asebenzise amazwi athi “uNkulunkulu wami” lapho ebhekisela kuJehova. Wayehlala eZarefati “laseSidoni,” noma mhlawumbe umzana owawungaphansi komuzi waseFenike. Cishe, kwakuhlala abakhulekeli bakaBhali eZarefati. Noma kunjalo, kukhona okuhlukile uJehova ayekubonile kulo mfelokazi.

Nakuba lo mfelokazi waseZarefati ayehlala phakathi kwabantu abakhonza izithombe, wayenokholo. UJehova wathumela u-Eliya kuye ngoba efuna kuzuze lona wesifazane nomprofethi. Singafunda isifundo esibalulekile kulokhu.

Akubona bonke abakhileyo baseZarefati elikhulekela uBhali ababebabi ngokuphelele. Ngokuthumela u-Eliya kulo mfelokazi, uJehova wabonisa ukuthi uyabaqaphela abantu abanezinhloso ezinhle abangakamkhonzi. Ngempela, “ezizweni zonke umuntu omesabayo [uNkulunkulu] futhi enze ukulunga uyamukeleka kuye.”—IzE. 10:35.

Bangaki abantu abahlala ensimini yakini abanjengalo mfelokazi waseZarefati? Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi bazungezwe abantu abanamathele enkolweni yamanga, kungenzeka ukuthi balangazelela okuthile okungcono. Kungenzeka ukuthi abanalo ulwazi ngoJehova noma banoluncane, ngakho badinga usizo ukuze bamukele ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile. Ingabe uyabacinga abantu abanjalo futhi ubasize?

Cabangisisa ngalokho u-Eliya acela lo mfelokazi ukuba akwenze. Wayesanda kumtshela ukuthi wayezokwenza ukudla kokugcina azokudla nendodana yakhe bese befa. Kodwa, wathini u-Eliya? “Ungesabi. Ngena, wenze ngokwezwi lakho. Kuphela kokulapho yenzela mina kuqala iqebelengwana eliyindilinga, ulilethe kimi, futhi kamuva ungazenzela wena nendodana yakho. Ngoba yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akushilo, ‘Imbiza enkulu kafulawa ngeke iphele, nembiza encane yamafutha ngeke iphele kuze kube usuku uJehova ayonika ngalo imvula phezu kobuso bomhlaba.’”—1 AmaKh. 17:11-14.

Abanye babengase bathi: ‘Uthi ngikunike ukudla kwethu kokugcina? Thana uyadlala.’ Kodwa lo mfelokazi akasabelanga ngaleyo ndlela. Nakuba ayenolwazi olungatheni ngoJehova, wamkholwa u-Eliya futhi wenza ngokwesicelo sakhe. Yeka ukuthi ukholo lwakhe lwavivinywa kakhulu kangakanani futhi yeka ukuthi wenza isinqumo esihlakaniphe kangakanani!

UNkulunkulu akazange amshiye lo mfelokazi ompofu. Njengoba nje u-Eliya ayethembisile, uJehova wakwandisa lokho kudlana kwakhe okuncane kangangokuba kwabondla yena nendodana yakhe no-Eliya kwaze kwaphela isomiso. Ngempela, “imbiza enkulu kafulawa ayizange iphele nembiza encane yamafutha ayizange iphele, ngokwezwi likaJehova ayelikhulume ngo-Eliya.” (1 AmaKh. 17:16; 18:1) Ukube lona wesifazane wenqaba ukwenza lokho ayecelwa ukuba akwenze, mhlawumbe isinkwa ayeyosenza ngaleyo nkeshezana  kafulawa namafutha amancane ayenawo ngabe kwaba ukudla kwakhe kokugcina kwabe sekuphela ngetswayi. Kodwa, wabonisa ukholo, wathembela kuJehova futhi wanika u-Eliya ukudla kuqala.

Isifundo esingasifunda kulokhu ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyababusisa ababonisa ukholo. Lapho ubhekene novivinyo lobuqotho futhi ubonisa ukholo, uJehova uyokusiza. Uyoba uMondli, uMvikeli noMngane ukuze akusize ubhekane ngokuphumelelayo nalolo vivinyo.—Eks. 3:13-15.

Ngo-1898, i-Zion’s Watch Tower yaveza lesi sifundo kule ndaba yomfelokazi: “Uma lona wesifazane ayenokholo olwaludingeka ukuze alalele, khona-ke wayeyobhekwa njengokufanelekelayo ukusizwa iNkosi isebenzisa uMprofethi; uma ayengazange abonise ukholo, kwakungase kutholakale omunye umfelokazi owayezolubonisa. Kunjalo nangathi,—ezikhathini ezihlukahlukene zempilo yethu iNkosi isiletha endaweni lapho iluvivinya khona ukholo lwethu. Uma sibonisa ukholo siyothola isibusiso; uma singalubonisi, siyophuthelwa isibusiso.”

Lapho sibhekene novivinyo oluthile, kudingeka sifune isiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu emiBhalweni nasezincwadini zethu ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini. Lapho sesisitholile, kufanele senze ngokuvumelana nesiqondiso sikaJehova kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kunzima kanjani ukusamukela. Siyobusiswa ngempela uma senza ngokuvumelana nalesi saga esihlakaniphile: “Thembela kuJehova ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, ungenciki kokwakho ukuqonda. Mqaphele kuzo zonke izindlela zakho, yena uyokwenza izindlela zakho ziqonde.”—IzAga 3:5, 6.

Ukholo lwalo mfelokazi lwalusazobhekana nolunye uvivinyo. Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kuthi: “Kwathi ngemva kwalezi zinto indodana yalona wesifazane, inkosikazi yendlu, yagula, futhi ukugula kwayo kwaba nzima kakhulu kangangokuba kwakungasekho moya owawusele kuyo.” Efuna isizathu salolu sizi lokushonelwa, lo mama wathi ku-Eliya: “Ngihlangene ngani nawe, muntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso? Uze kimi ukuba uzongikhumbuza isiphambeko sami nokuba ubulale indodana yami.” (1 AmaKh. 17:17, 18) Asho ukuthi lawo mazwi abuhlungu?

Ingabe lona wesifazane wayekhumbula isono esithile esasimudla? Ingabe wayecabanga ukuthi ukufa kwendodana yakhe kuyisijeziso esivela kuNkulunkulu nokuthi u-Eliya uyisithunywa sikaNkulunkulu esiletha ukufa? IBhayibheli alisitsheli, kodwa linye iphuzu elisobala: Lo mfelokazi akazange nhlobo abeke uNkulunkulu icala lokwenza okungalungile.

Kumelwe ukuba u-Eliya washaqeka ngokufa kwendodana yomfelokazi nawumcabango ayewuvezile wokuthi ukuba khona kwalo mprofethi okwakubangele lolu sizi olukhulu kangaka. Ngemva kokuthatha isidumbu salo mfana enyukele naso ekamelweni elisophahleni, u-Eliya wakhala: “O Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, ingabe kumelwe ulethe okubi naphezu kwalo mfelokazi engigogobele kwakhe ngokubulala indodana yakhe?” Kwakunzima kulo mprofethi ukucabanga ngesihlamba igama likaNkulunkulu elaliyothelwa ngaso uma uJehova ayengavumela lona wesifazane onomusa nonomoya wokungenisa izihambi ukuba ezwe ubuhlungu obungaphezu kwalobo ayevele enabo. Ngakho u-Eliya wanxusa: “O Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, ngiyacela, bangela umphefumulo walo mntwana ukuba ubuyele kuye.”—1 AmaKh. 17:20, 21.

UJehova wayelalele. Umfelokazi wayondle umprofethi wakhe futhi ebonise ukholo. Kubonakala sengathi uNkulunkulu wavumela ukuba ukugula kwalo mfana kuqhubeke kuze kube seqophelweni lokumbulala azi ukuthi kunesimangaliso sovuko esasizokwenzeka futhi esasizonika izizukulwane ezizayo ithemba—esingesokuqala kwezilotshwe emiBhalweni. Lapho u-Eliya emncenga, uJehova wamvusa umfana. Cabanga ukuthi wajabula kanjani umfelokazi lapho u-Eliya ethi: “Bheka, indodana yakho iyaphila”! Lo mfelokazi wabe esethi ku-Eliya: “Impela manje ngiyazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu nokuthi izwi likaJehova elisemlonyeni wakho liyiqiniso.”—1 AmaKh. 17:22-24.

Ukulandisa okukweyoku-1 AmaKhosi isahluko 17 akube kusasitshela ngalona wesifazane. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi uJesu wakhuluma kahle ngaye, kungenzeka ukuthi waba inceku ethembekile kaJehova. (Luka 4:25, 26) Indaba yakhe isifundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyababusisa labo abenza okuhle ezincekwini zakhe. (Math. 25:34-40) Ifakazela ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabanakekela abantu bakhe abathembekile ngisho nasezimweni ezinzima kakhulu. (Math. 6:25-34) Lokhu kulandisa kusinika nobufakazi bokuthi uJehova uyafisa futhi unamandla okuvusa abafileyo. (IzE. 24:15) Ngokuqinisekile, lezi izizathu ezinhle kakhulu zokumkhumbula umfelokazi waseZarefati.